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Museum Congress®

Last week on 4 and 5 October, de Merkplaats® attended the Museum Congress® in the beautiful building of the Louwman Museum in The Hague. Two days of inspiring speakers, thought-provoking discussions and new contacts. The speakers, coming from all over the world, started a dialogue about the ways the cultural sector can be relevant for society as a whole in the long run.

Many clients of de Merkplaats were present, including two speakers: Kunsthal® and Tropenmuseum®. Johan van Gielen from de Kunsthal® talked about the third edition of ‘All you can Art’ and the way in which the exhibition has come about. ‘All you can Art’ was a mobile studio, moving from one location to another, visiting different neighbourhoods to exchange ideas, knowledge and stimulate meetings between cultures. A constantly expanding exhibition where every visitor had the opportunity to join the artists in making art.

Wayne Modest, another speaker who worked as the head of the curatorial department at our client Tropenmuseum®, talked about his most recent publication ‘Words Matter’. In his book he discusses whether museums should change the titles of some of their works, because of using words that can be emotionally and politically charged for some people. His book is part of a larger dialogue in society that debates issues of citizenship, belonging and representation in The Netherlands and beyond.

Eventually, those present worked towards a clear agreement for inclusion in museums in 2019 and in the years to come. These inspiring two days gave us food for thought.